Bush Urges World Leaders to Keep Markets Open
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US president urges nations to be patient with global economic recovery
President Bush delivers remarks on the economy in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, 14 Oct. 2008U.S. President George Bush is urging nations of the world to be patient with a global economic recovery and to maintain policies that keep financial markets open.During his weekly radio address Saturday, President Bush said it is especially important to continue open market policies at a time when the global economy is uncertain.Mr. Bush will host a world economic summit in Washington on November 15. He called on leaders attending the summit to recommit themselves to what he describes as "proven methods for creating prosperity and hope."The former head of the U.S. central bank, Alan Greenspan, told members of Congress Thursday that more regulation of the finance industry is needed. Greenspan opposed tighter regulations during his 18 years as chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve. Greenspan said the current financial crisis has left him in a "state of shocked disbelief."
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
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Asian, European Leaders Vow Cooperation on Financial Crisis
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Joint statement says current efforts to resolve global financial crisis are not enough and that further cooperation is needed
Asian and European leaders meeting in the Chinese capital, Beijing,
say current efforts to resolve the global financial crisis are not
enough and that further cooperation is needed. Daniel Schearf reports
from Beijing.ASEM delegation members during closing of 7th Asia Europe Meeting in Beijing, 25 Oct 2008Leaders from more than forty Asian and
European countries issued a joint statement Saturday calling for
coordinated efforts to tackle the financial crisis. The leaders pledged their support in efforts to reform the international monetary and financial systems.The statement also called for the International Monetary Fund to play a lead role in helping economies recover.Chinese
Premier Wen Jiabao said all countries needed to show confidence,
cooperation, and responsibility to get through the crisis. He said
only by cooperating would countries have the strength to overcome
hardships. He
says confidence means that all countries, especially developed ones,
need to quickly take decisive measures to stabilize the financial
markets so as to make people more confident.Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao attends closing session of Asia Europe Meeting in Beijing, 25 Oct 2008The statement came
at the end of the Asia-Europe Meeting, a two-day summit held to
increase understanding and cooperation between the continents.The
meeting, held every two years, is normally just a discussion platform.
But the growing fall-out from the world credit squeeze has focused
attention on finding solutions. Mr. Wen said countries need to strike a balance between encouraging financial innovation and regulating the market. He says they need financial innovation but they need financial oversight even more.Mr.
Wen said although China's economy was not severely damaged by the
crisis it would likely suffer more as global demand slowed down. The meeting also addressed energy security, poverty, and climate change, among other issues.The
president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, said the
financial crisis was no reason to postpone commitments made in fighting
climate change. "We need to agree a
comprehensive, global agreement according to the principle of shared
but differentiated responsibilities. And, I really believe that after
the very good exchanges we had today that it is possible to reach that
agreement," he said.Europe and Asia make up over half of the world's growth in domestic production. The
financial crisis started in the United States when massive defaults on
home loans led several major banks to close down or merge. The credit
crunch slowed consumption, investment and world trade.Washington
will hold a financial crisis summit next month. Asian and European
leaders meeting in Beijing said they would support the summit.
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Three Shot Dead in Afghan Capital
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Director of Interior Ministry's criminal investigation department says one of guards at DHL facility fired at vehicle, killing two foreign company officials and their Afghan bodyguard
Afghan police say the two top officials of an international shipping
company and one of their security guards were shot dead Saturday in
front of their office in Kabul. VOA correspondent Steve Herman reports
from the Afghan capital the killings are the latest in a series of
attacks on foreign nationals there.General Mirza Mohammad Yarmand (l), director of Interior Ministry's Criminal Investigation Dept. at scene of DHL shooting in Kabul, Afghanistan, 25 Oct 2008Afghan officials say the two
Westerners were gunned down as they sat in a vehicle in front of the
German-owned freight company DHL.On the scene, General Mirza
Mohammad Yarmand, the director of the Interior Ministry's criminal
investigation department, told reporters the shots were fired from
inside the DHL office.General Yarmand says one of the guards at
the DHL facility fired at the vehicle, killing the two foreign company
officials and their Afghan bodyguard. He says a motive has not been
established.The DHL office is located at a busy intersection across from the Iranian Embassy, in an upscale section of Kabul.Police and diplomats say the two DHL officials - the country director and deputy director -- were from Britain and South Africa.Officials
of Saladin, a British-based private security company confirmed to VOA
News that the Afghan guard who died was employed by them. Authorities say two other Afghans, standing outside the DHL office, were wounded in the shooting. Evidence, including bullet casings, recovered from inside DHL office following fatal shooting in Kabul, Afghanistan, 25 Oct 2008Police
detained 13 people, including DHL employees and guards. Interior
Ministry officials say they are questioning them to determine whether
the shooting stemmed from an "internal dispute" or outsiders were
involved.The latest violence comes less than a week after the
shooting death of Gayle Williams, a British-South African national
working for a Christian charity in Kabul. Taliban insurgents claimed
they attacked the young woman because her British organization, SERVE
Afghanistan, was spreading Christianity.The charity denied it was proselytizing but decided to close its operation in the country following the killing.Security
has deteriorated in the capital and many parts of the country. Taliban
insurgents and criminal gangs are blamed for a recent wave of killings
and kidnappings targeting Afghans and foreigners.Afghan
authorities say several foreigners have been abducted in the past few
days in the country. Among them are two Bangladeshi development workers
in Ghazni province and two Turkish engineers hired to erect a
communications tower near the Pakistani border in Khost province.
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Pakistani Troops Seize Key Militant Stronghold
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Major General Tariq Khan says military forces gained control of Loi Sam, strategic town at center of militant supply routes
Pakistan's army says it has captured a key militant stronghold near the
Afghan border, in an ongoing offensive against al-Qaida and Taliban
militants in the Bajaur tribal region.Pakistani Major General
Tariq Khan says military forces gained control of Loi Sam, a strategic
town at the center of militant supply routes. He told reporters
visiting the area Saturday that the military victory followed heavy
resistance from militant fighters.Pakistani security forces
have been battling al-Qaida and Taliban militants in Bajaur since
August. Khan says nearly 1,500 suspected militants and 73 troops have
died in the operation so far.But he warned Saturday it could take several more months before Pakistani authorities gain complete control of Bajaur.The
United Nations says the fighting has displaced about 190,000 people,
many of whom have fled into neighboring Afghanistan to escape the
violence. The United States has been pushing Pakistan to take
stronger action against the militants. Washington says the fighters are
using Pakistan as a base to attack U.S. and Afghan troops in
Afghanistan.
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600 Palestinian Police Deploy in Hebron
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Commanders say aim is to crack down on militants and criminals
Israel is allowing the Palestinian Authority to extend its control of
the West Bank. Robert Berger reports from the VOA bureau in Jerusalem. Palestinian security officers loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas run in the street after being deployed in the West Bank city of Hebron, 25 Oct 2008Nearly
600 Palestinian police deployed in the volatile West Bank town of
Hebron. Commanders say the aim it to crack down on militants and
criminals. Israel approved the deployment to strengthen
Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, both of whom want
to curb the influence of the Islamic militant group Hamas.
The group
seized control of the Gaza Strip last year, routing Mr. Abbas's Fatah
forces in a Palestinian civil war. Since then, Mr. Abbas has headed a
more moderate government in the West Bank that is negotiating with
Israel for the creation of a Palestinian state. In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum condemned the deployment of Palestinian police in Hebron.He
accused Mr. Abbas of collaborating with Israel to crackdown on Hamas
and the Palestinian resistance, while strengthening the Israeli
occupation. . Hebron is the West Bank's largest city and the third to be reinforced with Palestinian police loyal to President Abbas.Israel
still controls the Tomb of the Patriarchs, which is sacred to both Jews
and Muslims, and the nearby Hebron Jewish settlement. The 500 settlers
who live there are furious over the deployment. They say that in the
past, Palestinian police have turned their weapons on the Jews.
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Analysts Say Swing States Hold Key to US Election
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Experts say relatively small handful of states will provide margin of victory on Election Day
In the final days of the U.S. presidential election campaign, candidates Barack Obama and John McCain will focus on a relatively small handful of states that will provide the margin of victory on Election Day, November 4. VOA National Correspondent Jim Malone reports from Washington.Man votes early in Norwalk, California 06 Oct 2008In the 2000 election, Democrat Al Gore won more popular votes than his Republican opponent, then Texas governor George Bush. But Mr. Bush won the election because he defeated Gore in the electoral vote tally.Each state has a certain number of electoral votes based on the number of Senate and House members who represent that state in Congress. Each state has two senators, but the number of House seats for a given state depends on population.California, the largest state, has 53 House members and two senators, for a total of 55 electoral votes. Wyoming, one of the smallest states, has only three electoral votes, taking into account its two U.S. senators and one House member.US presidential candidates Barack Obama in Fayetteville, N.C. and John McCain in Toledo, Ohio, 19 Oct 2008As they campaign in the final days, both Barack Obama and John McCain will try to cobble together enough electoral votes to get to the magic number of 270 to clinch the presidency.American University expert Curtis Gans says each candidate looks at the electoral map of the country differently."Every candidate in this polarized country at this point starts with a number of states that are clearly their states to win, and a number of states that are their states to lose," Gans said.As in most presidential elections, the candidates wind up focusing on a relatively small handful of so-called swing or battleground states, states where the race is close and states that have enough electoral votes to make a difference in the outcome of the election.Larry Sabato directs the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia."Out of the 50 states, about 40 of them are almost predetermined, and we can call them today. So, the focus is on ten competitive states, relatively competitive," Sabato explained. "Some of them are complete toss-ups, could go in either direction. I think Ohio and Virginia are in that category. Others may be leaning one way or another. So, we tend to focus on these states because they are the ones in the end who determine who is going to be president."For example, Republican presidential candidates tend to do well in the deep South and the Plains states. Democrats do well in the Northeast, along the Pacific coast and in the upper Midwest.That leaves 10 to 12 swing states where both campaigns are competitive, states that will provide the margin of victory on November 4.Dennis Johnson is a political expert at George Washington University."When you think about the strategy of an election, the most important number is 270. And that is the number of electors that will get you over the top (to win the presidency). And, any combination of states that has 270, that is the magic number that you are really looking for," Johnson said.Recent polls give Democrat Barack Obama an edge in some of the larger swing or battleground states, states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana.Obama has been leading even in Florida, the state that gave President Bush his narrow victory over Al Gore in 2000.Obama is also doing well in states like Nevada, Colorado and even North Carolina, all of which have tended to vote Republican in recent years.Tom DeFrank is Washington bureau chief of the New York Daily News and a longtime observer of U.S. politics."These are states that are usually Republican, for the most part, and states that McCain has to win," DeFrank said. "And so, Obama has an easier path. He has got a better electoral map and he has got momentum on his side and it would take a string of things to go McCain's way for this trend to be reversed. It could happen but it's not likely at the moment."National polls are important in the closing days of the presidential race. But experts will be keeping a close eye on the race in several individual key states on election night, as they watch to see which of the two candidates will get to the magic number of 270 electoral votes first.
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Republicans Face Possibility of Big Losses in US Congressional Races
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Most analysts see Republicans losing at least 20 House seats, but some predictions put potential losses at 30 or more
Republicans face the prospect of significant losses in the House of Representatives during next month U.S. election. Most analysts see Republicans losing at least 20 House seats, but some predictions put potential losses at 30 or more in the 435-seat House. VOA's Dan Robinson reports, while Americans have generally negative views of Congress, Democrats have taken advantage of a general trend of dissatisfaction.
Man votes early in Norwalk, California, 06 Oct. 2008Although a number of issues will be on the minds of Americans when they go to the polls on November 4, the most dominant is the global financial crisis which most analysts agree is pushing voters toward making major changes in Washington, and Republican candidates are vulnerable across the country.
Currently, Democrats hold a 235 to 199 advantage in the 435-member House, with one seat vacant. Though Republican leaders have tried to maintain an optimistic public face, there were some early negative signs in 2008.
Early in the year, three key state districts held by Republicans for decades shifted to Democrats in special elections seen as important early indicators.
Among them was the seat held by former Republican House speaker Dennis Hastert, where a Democratic candidate benefited from fundraising and an endorsement by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. In the southern states of Louisiana and Mississippi, two key seats also fell to Democrats.
At the same time, since the 2006 mid-term election, Republicans leaving Congress, either retiring or running for higher office, outnumber Democratic departures by a margin of 29 to six.
Debates in House races reflect concerns about the economy and the recent government rescue plan for the financial markets.
Democrats and Republicans contrast what they would do in Washington if elected, but also reflect a lot of common ground on the financial mess.
In Ohio's 15th district, which narrowly went Republican in 2006, Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy faces Republican Steve Stivers.
"We need to move in quickly to eliminate and put more oversight and more regulation so the risky behaviors on Wall Street and [in] the banking industry that brought us to this crisis, come to an end," says Kilroy.
"We need to make sure that what they are going to do is going to work," Stivers says. "We need to make sure that it is going to be a smart investment and that the taxpayers aren't going to be left holding the bag for Wall Street."
In Colorado, where opinion polls show Barack Obama has opened a significant lead over John McCain, the House contest between Republican House incumbent Marlyn Musgrave and Democrat Betsey Markey featured this exchange about energy policy.
"My opponent has voted against every piece of renewable energy legislation that has come before the Congress in the past four years," says Markey.
"I will always vote against a bill if it has pork [extraneous spending] in it, and a tax increase and those are the reasons for my no votes on those bills," Musgrave says.
In addition to the economy, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have also worked against Republicans, who are also weighed down by President Bush's poor public approval ratings.
Democrats are out-spending Republicans in House races by almost four to one, with Republican congressional campaign managers forced to make tough choices on where to direct funds.
An internal Republican party document recently reported by U.S. News & World Report, and the multimedia political news organization Politico, described 58 Republican House seats as being at some level of risk, with as many as 34 seats in serious danger of shifting to Democrats.
Among interesting shifts, Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann's chances for re-election were damaged by controversy that followed her call for investigations of members of Congress that she suggested had anti-American views.
Democrats are not without their problems. In Florida, a Democrat Tim Mahoney's chances of winning a key Republican seat are threatened by a personal scandal, while Democrats faced tough races in some key states, such as Pennsylvania.
While Democrats could sharply increase their majority in the House, the picture in the 100 member Senate is less hopeful, where Republicans may still maintain enough seats to block legislation.
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Bush Signs NATO Entry Protocols for Albania, Croatia
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Leaders of NATO countries agreed at summit in Romania earlier this year to invite both Balkan nations into alliance
U.S. President George Bush Fridayone step closer to membership in NATO. As VOA's Kent Klein reports from Washington, the leaders of the 26 NATO countries agreed at a summit in Romania earlier this year to invite the two Balkan nations into the alliance.
President Bush signs Albania and Croatia NATO protocols, 24 Oct 2008 President Bush formally endorsed Albania and Croatia's bid to join NATO, after applauding the two countries for overcoming communism and war, to become peaceful democracies.
"The people of Albania and Croatia are helping move the world closer to a great triumph of history - a Europe that is whole, a Europe that is free and a Europe that is at peace," he said.
At a White House ceremony late Friday, Mr. Bush was joined by NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in celebrating the progress made by the alliance's two newest prospective members.
"We are now one major step nearer to welcoming into the alliance Albania and Croatia, two more countries who have demonstrated, by word and by deed, that they are willing and able to shoulder the responsibilities of NATO membership," said Scheffer.
The two Balkan nations will be eligible to join the Western alliance when all 26 member countries have approved their addition. The U.S. joins Hungary and Slovakia as the only countries to sign the papers so far.
While Mr. Bush noted the reforms Albania and Croatia have made in their democratic systems, he acknowledged that more work remains.
"The road to reform does not end with the acceptance into NATO. Every member of the alliance has a responsibility to enhance, promote and defend the cause of democracy. I am confident that Albania and Croatia will deliver on their commitments to strengthen their democratic institutions and free-market systems," he said.
The president said the U.S. hopes to welcome other Balkan countries into NATO. "In the space of a single decade, this region has transformed itself from a land consumed by war to a contributor to international peace and stability. America looks forward to the day when the ranks of NATO include all of the nations in the Balkans, including Macedonia," he said.
Mr. Bush also said the United States remains committed to the NATO aspirations of Ukraine, Georgia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. He also said the door to NATO membership is open to the people of Serbia, if they choose that path. At this year's NATO summit in Romania, the alliance rejected U.S. attempts to invite Ukraine and Georgia to join, fearing that the move would provoke Russia.
Mr. Scheffer agreed that expansion to more countries is an alliance priority. "Both countries have set an example for others to follow, and we will encourage and support all those who aspire [to] that same goal," he said.
NATO officials hope Albania and Croatia will be able to participate as full members in the 2009 summit
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UN Rights Official Backs Kenya Tribunal
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Kyung-wha Kang endorses establishment of tribunal to try those responsible for violence that followed December's presidential elections
The United Nations' deputy high commissioner for human rights has endorsed the establishment of a tribunal in Kenya to try those responsible for violence that followed December's presidential elections. She made the remarks at the end of a four-day visit to Kenya. Derek Kilner reports from Nairobi. A supporter of Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga taunts a Kenyan policeman during a demonstration in the street of Kisumu, Kenya, 16 Jan 2008Kyung-wha Kang urged Kenya to adopt the findings of a commission set up to investigate the post-election violence, in which over 1,100 people were killed, and hundreds of thousands displaced."I've had short but good discussion with the prime minister with the justice minister with civil society actors with the U.N. country teams with the donor community on how it is very important for the commission report to be acted upon," she said.The commission, led by Kenyan judge Philip Waki, recently released its findings in a 500-page report. The report calls for the establishment of an independent tribunal to try those suspected of the deepest responsibility for the violence. Waki has said this includes prominent political and business leaders, but no names have yet been released.Kang said the commission's findings echoed those of a U.N. investigation carried out in February, and said her office would be ready to support the tribunal."We expressed our readiness to support the Kenyan endeavors in this regard," she said. "For example we can help in drafting the statute of the special tribunal. The commission recommends that the tribunal have an international component to that and we can certainly help in identifying the international expertise that can be part of the exercise.On Thursday, Kenya's parliament approved the creation of a Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commission, consisting of nine Kenyan and international members, to investigate crimes stretching back to the country's independence in 1963.The fate of the tribunal proposed by the Waki commission is less clear, with both parties in the country's grand coalition government appearing divided. Both President Mwai Kibaki, who heads the Party of National Unity, and Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who led the Orange Democratic Movement in last year's elections, have endorsed the commission's findings. But key figures in both parties have also denounced the report.Waki has said that if the tribunal is not established by the beginning of March, the names of suspects will be forwarded to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.Kang made her remarks at the end of a four-day visit to Kenya, in which she attended the International Conference of National Human Rights Institutions, and visited a camp for refugees from Somalia in northern Kenya.
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Clint Eastwood's Film 'Changeling,' is True Story Stranger than Fiction
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Police returns missing child to his mother - only he is the wrong child
In 1928 in a Los Angeles suburb, the peaceful life of a young single mother is shattered when her 9-year-old son Walter disappears. Five months later, Los Angeles police tell Christine Collins that her son has been found. So far, this true story, dug up from L.A.'s public records, sounds like every other missing child story with a happy ending. But what followed shook up L.A. and brought down the city's political establishment. Now, 80 years later, director Clint Eastwood revives the story in his movie "Changeling." VOA's Penelope Poulou has more.Actor James Donovan's character, Capt. J.J. Jones of the Los Angeles Police Department, is portrayed as pure evil Capt. J.J. Jones, the officer in charge of the case, refuses to accept that he failed to find the real Walter, especially at a time when LAPD is under fire for corruption and incompetence. Things get even more complicated because the boy who has been found claims he is Walter.Determined to fight for her son, Christine gathers evidence on his identity. Capt. Jones dismisses Christine as hysterical and insolent because she dares to question his judgment. "Changeling" is a surreal drama based on a true story Actress Angelina Jolie interprets Christine. She says, back then, women couldn't stand up to men. "They had the final word. They could easily say 'You're emotional. You're a woman. You're a mother. You're not thinking clearly,' and a lot of people at that time would say, 'That's right,'" Jolie says. Christine's situation worsens when Capt. Jones has her arrested and sent to a psychiatric ward. She is treated brutally there and is evaluated by a psychiatrist, Dr. Steele. Angelina Jolie portrays Christine Collins, whose fight to find her missing son shook up the Los Angeles establishment Christine gets help from a Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Gustav Briegleb, an outspoken critic of the police. He gets her out of the hospital and recruits a high-profile lawyer to represent her in a suit against the city. At the same time, there is new evidence that Christine's son was abducted by a serial killer. The boy who has insisted he is Walter confesses that he is not. Clint Eastwood says it is difficult to believe that the story is true. "What this woman had to go through was really amazing," he says. "And the fact that she actually could bring down the whole political structure of Los Angeles in 1928 is amazing."Director Clint Eastwood, on the set with Angelina Jolie, says it's hard to believe the story behind "Changeling" is trueEastwood's production is elaborate. The sets, costumes and gestures replicate the times. Colors are subdued, scenes are moody. Angelina Jolie offers a solid performance as a fragile and tormented mother. John Malcovich adds intensity and eccentricity to his character, the Rev. Briegleb. James Donovan is dark and unyielding as Capt. Jones. Unfortunately, the characters, as written, are one-dimensional. Christine Collins, a beautiful lady, has no flaws. Capt. Jones is pure evil. Eastwood attempts to give equal treatment to the film's subplots, but in so doing, he loses focus and the movie drags on. In the end, it is the sheer power of Christine Collins's true story that makes "Changeling" an interesting film.
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